Monday, June 08, 2009

Time for some Actions!

We've talked before about the Warri-based band Aktion (a.k.a. The Aktion Funk Ensemble) which started out as The Actions, one of the "army-entertaining" bands of the immediate post-civil war era. The members of the group included, at various points, leader Lemmy Faith, Essien Akpabio, Ben Alaka, Renny Pearl, Felix "Feladey" Odey and Tony Essien.

One of these days I'll figure out why many bands in the 1970s switched from standard "The" names to placing arbitrary numbers after their monikers, but just as The Heralds became Heralds 7 and The Founders became The Founders 15 (then Foundars 15 and finally Foundars XV), The Actions transformed into Action 13 before arriving at Aktion.

Aktion disbanded in the mid-70s, but the group's name lived on through Action Inn, a hotel Essien Akpabio established in the town of Ikot Ekpene. It was located around Ikot Ekpene-Aba Road, if I recall correctly; when I was in high school at Federal Government College, Ikot Ekpene more adventurous guys than myself would sneak off the school compound to hang out at Action and other joints like SUA International Guest House and drink beer, smoke cigarettes and mingle with ladies of dubious repute.

Hey nice one! Haven't heard this one in ages, it is a mother! Apparently this track was originally "Chicken Kposposiposi" according to Rennie and Lemmy anyway. You left out the guy on the Hammond/Farfisar Organ- Emeka Aseme. I hear he's a Petroleum Engineer, last I hear he worked with the NNPC. We jammed together- (with Lemmy and Rennie) at De Captains back in 97-98. By the way did you catch up with Jahman?